1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire fixing structure, an electrical equipment mount device having the wire fixing structure, and an air conditioner having the electrical equipment mount device and including an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan which are integrally equipped.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known an integral-type air conditioner in which an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan are integrally assembled and also the inside of the air conditioner is partitioned into an indoor-side chamber having the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan arranged therein and an outdoor-side chamber having the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor fan arranged therein by a partition plate. The air conditioner is further equipped with an operating portion having various kinds of electrical parts such as circuit boards, control buttons, etc. for controlling the compressor, the indoor fan, the outdoor fan, etc.
The air conditioner thus constructor has a cabinet which is disposed so as to penetrate through the wall of a building while the outer heat exchanger, the outdoor fan, etc. are accommodated therein, and a front panel which is fixed to the front end portion of the cabinet and disposed so as to project toward the room. The front panel is equipped with a laterally-elongated opening portion at the upper portion thereof and an air blow-out grille which is disposed in juxtaposition with the operating portion in the horizontal direction.
In the air conditioner thus constructed, the operating portion has an electrical equipment mount device disposed inside the cabinet and/or the front panel. A circuit board such as a control board for controlling the compressor, the indoor fan, the outdoor fan, etc. or the like on which electrical parts are mounted is disposed on the electrical equipment mount device. The electrical equipment mount device is disposed substantially beneath an operation door covering the opening portion as disclosed by Post-examined Utility Model Application No. Hei-4-40110).
In the operating portion thus constructed, various wires such as electrical wires for power supply, etc. are connected to a power supply circuit equipped to the control board, and these electrical wires are fixed to the wire fixing face of the electrical equipment mount device by fixing the electrical wires onto the wire fixing face with a pressing member or the like. Particularly in the case where a high voltage (for example, 265V) is supplied to the control circuit through the electrical wires for power supply, the electrical wires for power supply are disposed while inserted in a conduit in order to protect the electric wires from the external force.
When such an integral type air conditioner is set up in a room of a building, the air conditioner is usually set up in the room so that the cabinet disposed so as to penetrate through the wall of the building is located at the height corresponding to the waist of a user. In this case, the user may put a glass containing liquid such as drinking water or the like on the front panel or the cabinet. If the glass is turned over, the liquid drops through the operation opening into the electrical equipment mount device, thereby inducing insulation failure of the electrical parts.
Further, when the electric wires are fixed to the wire fixing face of the electrical equipment mount device as described above, the electric wires are fixed between the wire fixing face of the electrical equipment mount device and the press member. When the electric wires are used for power supply, the diameter of each electric wire is varied in accordance with the magnitude of the power to be supplied. Therefore, the press member for fixing the electric wires against the wire fixing face must be varied in shape in accordance with the wire diameter of the electric wires being used, and thus plural kinds of press members must be prepared to fix the electric wires being used to the wire fixing face. Therefore, the number of press members (parts) is increased, so that the cost of the air conditioner rises up.
In addition, in the case where a conduit is equipped to protect the electrical wires from the external force as described above, as disclosed in Japanese Post-examined Utility Model Application No. Hei-4-5935, a conduit fixing member for fixing conduits to the lower panel of a heat exchanger is constructed as a projecting piece which is integrally formed on a large-size plate (lower panel). In this case, a screwed fixing member is equipped to the tip of each conduit. The tip portions of the conduit penetrate through fixing holes formed in the conduit fixing member (the projecting piece), and then the screwed fixing members of the conduits are threadedly engaged with nuts to thereby fix the conduits to the conduit fixing member, so that the electrical wires can be excellently protected from the force acting on the conduits. In this case, the conduit fixing member for fixing the conduits to the lower panel must be designed as a large-size part (projecting piece) integrally formed with the lower panel. Further, the lower panel is fixed to the front panel and the back panel by using many screws. Accordingly, it is cumbersome to fix the lower panel having the projecting piece to the front and back panels, and the manufacturing cost rises up because it needs many screws.
Therefore, the present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing situation, and has an object to provide a wire fixing structure, an electrical equipment mount device and an air conditioner which can reduce the number of parts to thereby reduce the manufacturing cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical equipment mount device and an air conditioner which can miniaturize a conduit fixing member for fixing the end portions of conduits for electrical wiring.
Further object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner which can protect an electrical equipment mount device from invasion of foreign matters such as liquid materials, for example, drinking water, etc.
In order to attain the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a wire fixing structure for fixing at least one wire to a wire fixing face, comprises: plural wire abutting portions that are formed on the wire fixing face so as to be different in height from the wire fixing face; and a wire press member for fixing the wire to the wire fixing face by pinching the wire between the wire press member and the wire fixing face, wherein the wire is pinched between the wire press member and one of the wire abutting portions that is selected in accordance with the diameter of the wire, thereby fixing the wire to the wire fixing face.
In the above wire fixing structure, each of the wire abutting portions comprises any one of a recess portion, a flat portion and a projecting portion with respect to the wire fixing face.
In the above wire fixing structure, the press member comprises a U-shaped press body, flanges that are formed integrally with the U-shaped press body at both the ends of the U-shaped press body, and a press portion which expands outwardly from the inner surface of the U-shaped press body and abuts against the wire.
In the above wire fixing structure, an engaging hole is formed in the wire fixing face at one side of each of the abutting portions so that one of the flanges is engagedly fitted in the engaging hole, and a fitting hole is formed in the wire fixing face at the other side of each of the abutting portion so that the other flange is fixedly fitted in the fitting hole by a screw.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electrical equipment mount device containing at least one circuit board on which electrical parts connected to wires are mounted is characterized by comprising: a wire fixing plate on which the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed; plural wire abutting portions that are formed on the wire fixing face so as to be different in height from the wire fixing face; and a wire press member for fixing the wire to the wire fixing face by pinching the wire between the wire press member and the wire fixing face, wherein the wire is pinched between the wire press member and one of the wire abutting portions that is selected in accordance with the diameter of the wire, thereby fixing the wire to the wire fixing face.
In the above electrical equipment mount device, each of the wire abutting portions comprises any one of a recess portion, a flat portion and a projecting portion with respect to the wire fixing face.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, an electrical equipment mount device containing at least one circuit board on which electrical parts connected to wires are mounted is characterized by comprising: an electrical equipment mount plate having a back surface on which the at least one circuit board is mounted, and a front surface on which the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed; and a conduit fixing member having a conduit fixing face to which one end portion of a conduit having electrical wires inserted therein is fixed, wherein the electrical equipment mount plate is equipped with plural engaging holes, and the conduit fixing member is equipped with plural engaging members which are fixedly engageable with the engaging holes of the electrical equipment mount plate, the engaging members being located at different positions on the conduit fixing member with respect to the conduit fixing face.
In the above electrical equipment mount device, the engaging members are located at opposite sides with respect to the conduit fixing face in the vertical direction to the conduit fixing face.
In the above electrical equipment mount device, the conduit fixing member is equipped with flange portions at both the confronting sides of the conduit fixing face so that the flange portions are bent in the opposite directions, and the flange portions are equipped with the engaging members at one end portions thereof.
The above electrical equipment mount device further comprises a terminal table on which one ends of the electrical wires and one ends of the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed and connected to one another, the terminal table being fixed to the front surface of the electrical equipment mount plate.
The above electrical equipment mount device further comprises a cover fixed to the front surface of the electrical equipment mount plate so as to cover the terminal table and the conduit fixing member.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner comprising an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan which are integrally equipped, and an electrical equipment mount device containing at least one circuit board on which electrical parts connected to wires is mounted is disposed at the indoor-side chamber side, the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan being disposed in an indoor-side chamber while the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor fan are disposed in an outdoor-side chamber, and the indoor-side chamber and the outdoor-side chamber being partitioned by a partition plate, is characterized in that the electrical equipment mount device comprising: a wire fixing plate on which the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed; plural wire abutting portions that are formed on the wire fixing face so as to be different in height from the wire fixing face; and a wire press member for fixing the wire to the wire fixing face by pinching the wire between the wire press member and the wire fixing face, wherein the wire is pinched between the wire press member and one of the wire abutting portions that is selected in accordance with the diameter of the wire, thereby fixing the wire to the wire fixing face.
In the above air conditioner, each of the wire abutting portions comprises any one of a recess portion, a flat portion and a projecting portion with respect to the wire fixing face.
In the above air conditioner, the press member comprises a U-shaped press body, flanges that are formed integrally with the U-shaped press body at both the ends of the U-shaped press body, and a press portion which expands outwardly from the inner surface of the U-shaped press body and abuts against the wire.
In the above air conditioner, an engaging hole is formed in the wire fixing face at one side of each of the abutting portions so that one of the flanges is engagedly fitted in the engaging hole, and a fitting hole is formed in the wire fixing face at the other side of each of the abutting portion so that the other flange is fixedly fitted in the fitting hole by a screw.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner comprising an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan which are integrally equipped, and an electrical equipment mount device containing at least one circuit board on which electrical parts connected to wires are mounted, the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan being disposed in an indoor-side chamber while the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor fan are disposed in an outdoor-side chamber, and the indoor-side chamber and the outdoor-side chamber being partitioned by a partition plate, is characterized in that the electrical equipment mount device comprising: an electrical equipment mount plate having a back surface on which the at least one circuit board is mounted, and a front surface on which the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed; and a conduit fixing member having a conduit fixing face to which one end portion of a conduit having electrical wires inserted therein is fixed, wherein the electrical equipment mount plate is equipped with plural engaging holes, and the conduit fixing member is equipped with plural engaging members which are fixedly engageable with the engaging holes of the electrical equipment mount plate, the engaging members being located at different positions on the conduit fixing member with respect to the conduit fixing face.
In the above air conditioner, the engaging members are located at opposite sides with respect to the conduit fixing face in the vertical direction to the conduit fixing face.
In the above air conditioner, the conduit fixing member is equipped with flange portions at both the confronting sides of the conduit fixing face so that the flange portions are bent in the opposite directions, and the flange portions are equipped with the engaging members at one end portions thereof.
The above air conditioner further comprises a terminal table on which one ends of the electrical wires and one ends of the wires connected to the electrical parts are fixed and connected to one another, the terminal table being fixed to the front surface of the electrical equipment mount plate.
The above air conditioner further comprises a cover fixed to the front surface of the electrical equipment mount plate so as to cover the terminal table and the conduit fixing member.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner comprising an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan which are integrally equipped, a cabinet disposed so as to penetrate through a wall of a building while the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor fan are accommodated in the cabinet, and a front panel that is located at an indoor side and fixed to the indoor-side end portion of the cabinet, the cabinet having a laterally-elongated opening portion formed at the upper portion thereof, both of an air blow-out grille and an operation control unit being disposed in juxtaposition with each other in the opening portion, and an indoor-side chamber containing the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan and an outdoor-side chamber containing the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor fan are partitioned by a partition plate fixed to the bottom plate of the cabinet at the bottom portion thereof, is characterized in that the operation control unit comprises an operation box in which a first circuit board is disposed and an electrical equipment mount box in which a second circuit board is disposed, and the electrical equipment mount box is disposed in an area extending from the outdoor-side edge of the opening portion to the outdoor-side chamber.
In the above air conditioner, the electrical equipment mount box is disposed substantially beneath the joint portion between the cabinet and the front panel, and the partition plate has a first top panel extending from the upper edge of the back plate of the partition plate toward the front panel and a second top panel that is joined to the first top panel and extends toward the front side of the front panel, the first top panel being disposed to be interposed between the joint portion and the electrical equipment mount box and designed to be downwardly sloped to the outdoor-side chamber, so that liquid invading through the joint portion flows along the sloped first top plate toward the outdoor-side chamber with no invasion of the liquid into the electrical equipment mount box.
In the above air conditioner, the electrical equipment mount box is disposed substantially beneath the joint portion between the cabinet and the front panel, and the electrical equipment mount box has a front plate on which the second circuit board is disposed and a top plate extending from the upper edge of the front plate toward the outdoor-side chamber so that one edge of the top plate is located at a position nearer to the outdoor-side chamber than the joint portion between the first and second top plates of the partition plate and designed to be downwardly sloped toward the front side of the front panel, so that liquid invading through the joint portion flows along the sloped top plate toward the front side of the front plate with no invasion of the liquid into the electrical equipment mount box.
In the above air conditioner, the partition plate has a first top panel extending from the upper edge of the back plate of the partition plate toward the front panel, and a second top panel that extends toward the front side of the front panel and is bent at the front edge thereof and joined to the first top panel at the back edge thereof, the operation box has a sloped top plate on which operation switches are mounted, and the top plate is equipped with a collar portion at the back side thereof that is fixed to the bent front edge of the second top panel so that liquid invading through the opening portion flows along the surface of the sloped top plate of the operation box with no invasion of the liquid through the joint portion between the top plate of the operation box and the second top panel of the partition plate.